Lobelia: Propagation Tips

Stick relatively quickly and get cuttings hydrated as soon as possible. Only store unrooted cuttings overnight in a cooler if necessary. Cuttings can easily dehydrate.

Rooting Time

Unrooted cuttings typically take about three and a half to four weeks to root in a 105-sized plug. The “heat” type lobelias (i.e. Techno Heat varieties) root faster than most traditional “non-heat” types (i.e. Techno Blue).

Growing Media

High-porosity media like Fafard 1P Mix is ideal. Fertiss and EllePot are also common choices. Keep pH at 5.6 – 6.2, test media E.C. and pH about three weeks after sticking and adjust as needed.

Pinching

Lobelias do need to be pinched. Be sure to use good sanitation. Cuttings should be well-rooted before pinching.

Temperature

Media temperatures of 72–74°F are ideal. Once the cuttings are fully rooted, the temperatures can be lowered to control growth.

Misting

Spray CapSil one day after sticking to reduce wilting. Do not quit misting too soon and keep humidity high. Lobelias thrive best when misted lightly until adequate rooting occurs, which should be at about 2 to 2.5 weeks. Gradually reduce night misting from day two through day seven. Purpling of cuttings can occur when lobelia are taken off of mist too early before they have adequate roots or when the media is staying too saturated to prevent root development.

Spray for Botrytis control at day 2 and 9 alternating between Daconil ULTREX and Heritage. Drench with a broad-spectrum fungicide (Subdue Maxx plus Medallion fungicide combinations) 3 to 3.5 weeks after sticking to maintain a healthy root system.

Insects, INSV

Scout for thrips and signs of impatiens necrotic spot virus (INSV). Spray with Avid miticide/insecticide alternating with Conserve insecticide. Test suspicious looking plants immediately. Symptoms of INSV on lobelia include spotted and necrotic leaves, similar to high salt damage.

The numbers and range of combination baskets and containers grown for spring sales have increased tremendously in in the past 10 to 15 years. An explosion of new genera and improved genetics from breeders and suppliers over the same timeframe contributed to this trend, and consumers have reacted positively. Although single variety baskets and containers are still produced in large numbers, combinations are now the primary focus at retail. With the continuing realignment of production into combination plantings, a number of factors need to be considered when planning, planting and growing these crops. Such factors include color combinations, plant vigor, plant habit, planting design, container size, cultural requirements, and flowering time. Follow these seven tips to ensure success with each factor. 1. Get Color Combinations Right Color combination refers to the designing and blending of a certain mix of colors in the finished container. This combination can be as simple […]

The tenth largest cuttings farm in the world, Vivero Internacional was founded in 1991 and began exporting unrooted cuttings in 1993. Based in Tepoztlan, Morelos, just outside of Mexico City, Mexico, the operation opened with 2 hectares or 5 acres. With time and new customers, the farm has experienced rapid growth, now spanning 40 hectares or 99 acres, says Vivero’s Dennis Hitzigrath. “The first 10 years, production was doubling every season,” Hitzigrath says. “In the last three years, it’s been about 20%.” The independent operation grows 100 million cuttings annually for several breeders, serving the North American market. Hitzigrath says consolidation among breeders has brought more of a focus on Vivero Internacional from third-party breeders in recent years. This growing interest is spurring even more growth. “We are planning for a minimum growth of 20%,” Hitzigrath says. “We are adding more production space and hope to be needing more […]

The numbers and range of combination baskets and containers grown for spring sales have increased tremendously in in the past 10 to 15 years. An explosion of new genera and improved genetics from breeders and suppliers over the same timeframe contributed to this trend, and consumers have reacted positively. Although single variety baskets and containers are still produced in large numbers, combinations are now the primary focus at retail. With the continuing realignment of production into combination plantings, a number of factors need to be considered when planning, planting and growing these crops. Such factors include color combinations, plant vigor, plant habit, planting design, container size, cultural requirements, and flowering time. Follow these seven tips to ensure success with each factor. 1. Get Color Combinations Right Color combination refers to the designing and blending of a certain mix of colors in the finished container. This combination can be as simple […]

The tenth largest cuttings farm in the world, Vivero Internacional was founded in 1991 and began exporting unrooted cuttings in 1993. Based in Tepoztlan, Morelos, just outside of Mexico City, Mexico, the operation opened with 2 hectares or 5 acres. With time and new customers, the farm has experienced rapid growth, now spanning 40 hectares or 99 acres, says Vivero’s Dennis Hitzigrath. “The first 10 years, production was doubling every season,” Hitzigrath says. “In the last three years, it’s been about 20%.” The independent operation grows 100 million cuttings annually for several breeders, serving the North American market. Hitzigrath says consolidation among breeders has brought more of a focus on Vivero Internacional from third-party breeders in recent years. This growing interest is spurring even more growth. “We are planning for a minimum growth of 20%,” Hitzigrath says. “We are adding more production space and hope to be needing more […]

Just in time for spring production, Suntory Flowers introduces the Grower’s Guide app – the first greenhouse production app developed by a flower breeder. Designed for iPad tablets, the fully integrated tool provides complete cultural information for the entire Suntory catalog of varieties. With the portable and user-friendly app, growers can sort crops by temperature, light and fertility requirements and view crop times at a glance. In-depth cultural information is provided for each crop. It’s easy to see how many plants per pot are recommended for 4-inch and 6-inch pots and hanging baskets, along with number of weeks to finish. Growers can customize their Grower’s Guide by selecting the varieties they plan to grow and sell. Award ribbons indicate which varieties have been recognized for landscape performance at leading university trials. Once the Grower’s Guide app is downloaded, all of this vital information is available without access to the internet. […]

Coleus has been reinvented so many times over the past 50 years that it is often hard to remember what the plants used to be like. Even the scientific name has been reinvented multiple times in just the last five years. What was once known as Coleus blumei became Solenostemon scutellarioides, which then became Plectranthus scutellarioides, where it rests for now. Originally, coleus was a seed-produced crop used primarily as a houseplant. It was also used as an herbal remedy in tea to help folks sleep. That has all changed in the last 20 years with the infusion of sun-tolerant varieties, late-flowering varieties (to avoid deadheading and extend season of performance), new colors and new forms. In the past 10 years, there has been some very nice breeding for landscape performance and heat tolerance. Over and over, this plant has changed until what we grow today is so superior to […]

by CHANOCHI ZAKS When it comes to standing up to summer’s worst, nothing’s better than the Otomeria O’Premiera series. This hot plant choice — native to East Africa — doesn’t just survive but thrives in the most intense sun and the hottest heat that nature can provide.O’Premiera, the only commercially produced Otomeria series, includes four colors: Baby Pink, Pink, Ruby and White. All are hardy to Zone 11.Growing 14 to 18 inches tall and 12 to 14 inches wide, they are ideal for containers and landscape plantings alike. With an upright, well-branched habit, these sun lovers stay a pleasing, compact size. O’Premiera varieties flower continuously in warm weather and high light, typically through summer. General CultureFor a 5-inch (12 cm) pot, use one plant per pot. Plants will be ready for sales (from rooted cutting) within six to eight weeks. For 6-inch (15 cm) pots, use one to two plants […]

Every fall, growers throughout our industry devote a great deal of time and effort to creating their production plans for the upcoming spring. This is after sifting through the new varieties shown at the California Spring Trials, the OFA Short Course and various other grower meetings, as well as from the stack of catalogs collected from various suppliers. When developing a production plan, what should a grower consider when selecting new varieties? Three key points to consider are: can I grow a quality plant, can I sell the finished product and can I make money on the finished product? Questioning your ability to grow a quality plant is not a criticism of your growing talents. But it is important to know the amount of knowledge you have about the growing requirements for the given plant. Over the course of many years there are often new genera or “resurrected” genera from […]

When we started the annuals program this year, we had 180,000 square feet and started growing bedding plants. We just decided to do it. An important part of getting started on a new program is to have the customer base. You have to have someone that is going to buy your bedding plants. And, of course, you have to have the buildings to grow the plants. Manpower is also very important in terms of having someone who knows how to do it. In this case, the staff here knows how to do woody ornamentals, perennials and so on, but they did not know much about bedding plants. That’s where I came in. As head grower, I like to teach people. Explain The Why When Training When I started with the annuals program, I was already here for a year. This gave me enough time to start learning who at this […]

Grow Time (From Rooted Cutting) Lantanas in a quart container with one plant per pot take seven to eight weeks, in a gallon container with two plants per pot and also in a 12-inch baskets with four to five plants per pot, 11 to 12 weeks of grow time. Pinching Only one pinch is needed for compact lantanas like Bandana, either late in propagation or after transplant. Try to leave two or more sets of nodes when pinching. For more vigorous varieties like ‘Bandana Trailing Gold,’ two pinches are best. Growing Media High quality media with good porosity is critical for best growth. Peat-based mixes, like Fafard 2 Mix or 1P Mix, or bark-based mixes, like Fafard 4P Mix or 3B Mix work well. Fertilizer Rate Apply 200 to 250 parts per million (ppm) nitrogen, using Cal-Mag fertilizers (i.e. 13-2-13,15-5-15,14-4-14, etc.) for more compact growth and neutral pH. Use high […]

Upon arrival Lantanas should be stuck immediately. Do not store cuttings at a temperature below 48°F. Rooting Time Unrooted cuttings typically take four and a half to five weeks to root in a 105-sized plug. Dipping the base of the stem into 1,000 parts per million (ppm) IBA (indole-3-butyric-acid) can be beneficial, especially during early stick weeks. Growing Media High-porosity media like Fafard 1P Mix is ideal. Fertiss and Ellepot are also common choices. Keep pH at 5.6 – 6.2, test media E.C. and pH about three weeks after sticking and adjust as needed. Pinching Pinching is optional for compact varieties like Bandana but recommended for more vigorous varieties, like Bandana Trailing Gold. Make sure cuttings are well-rooted before pinching. Temperature Media temperatures of 72–74°F are ideal. Misting Spray CapSil one day after sticking to reduce wilting. Apply at a rate of 2 to 4 ounces per 100 gallons. Lantanas […]

Grow Time (From Rooted Cutting) A lobelia in a quart container with one pinch per plant (ppp) takes six to seven weeks of grow time. In a gallon container with two ppp, grow time is estimated at eight to nine weeks. Lobelias in 12-inch baskets with four to five ppp take 10 to 11 weeks of grow time. PinchOne pinch, ideally done in propagation, is enough for small and midsize pots. Trailing types will benefit from a second pinch a few weeks after transplant. The second pinch is not as crucial for Techno Heat Upright types. When pinching, use excellent sanitation, including viricides like Virkon-S, RelyOn or Trisodium phosphate (TSP). Growing Media High quality media with good porosity is critical for best growth. Peat-based mixes, like Fafard 2 Mix or 1P Mix, or bark-based mixes, like Fafard 4P Mix or 3B Mix work well. Fertilizer Rate Apply200 parts per million […]

Upon Arrival Stick relatively quickly and get cuttings hydrated as soon as possible. Only store unrooted cuttings overnight in a cooler if necessary. Cuttings can easily dehydrate. Rooting Time Unrooted cuttings typically take about three and a half to four weeks to root in a 105-sized plug. The “heat” type lobelias (i.e. Techno Heat varieties) root faster than most traditional “non-heat” types (i.e. Techno Blue). Growing Media High-porosity media like Fafard 1P Mix is ideal. Fertiss and EllePot are also common choices. Keep pH at 5.6 – 6.2, test media E.C. and pH about three weeks after sticking and adjust as needed. Pinching Lobelias do need to be pinched. Be sure to use good sanitation. Cuttings should be well-rooted before pinching. Temperature Media temperatures of 72–74°F are ideal. Once the cuttings are fully rooted, the temperatures can be lowered to control growth. Misting Spray CapSil one day after sticking to […]

Nearly 15 years ago as a retail grower I was troubled by the fierce competition among retailers for the standard fall offerings. Garden mums, flowering cabbage and kales, and pansies were the only crops we grew. As a perennial grower we offered quarts for early spring sales, gallons for spring and a small number of 2-gallons for late spring and summer sales. We were almost always finished with perennials by July 4. Yes, we may have had some sedums and ornamental grasses, or perhaps a crop of late-planted rudbeckia ‘Goldsturm,’ but that was it. That scenario worked great for production and the space the mums needed to be planted. Starting around Memorial Day my first rooted cuttings for poinsettias had to be planted, but was there opportunity to have other offerings in the fall? How about a nice-looking container with fantastic-looking foliage and blooms that would last through late fall […]

The town of Saratoga, N.Y., has observed downy mildew on Impatiens walleriana in public and private gardens for about three years. So it was only a matter of time, Margery Daughtrey thought, before downy mildew arrived about 250 miles southeast in Riverhead, N.Y. Downy mildew on impatiens officially arrived late this summer, around mid-September, when leaf yellowing and leaf drop on impatiens occurred, as well as the appearance of white spores on the undersides of leaves. Three weeks after those symptoms, stems collapsed onto the ground while nearby flower beds were still flowering and looking healthy. “They look very strange in this ‘stems-only’ stage,” says Daughtrey, senior extension associate at Cornell University. “We haven’t had any frost so this is purely a matter of downy mildew and conducive weather conditions.” Daughtrey describes the Northeast’s weather late summer as cooler than usual and constantly rainy. Those conditions helped spread the disease. […]

Greenhouse crop production often employs the use of plant hormones and growth-regulating chemicals to control growth such as plant height, rooting and flowering. Abscisic acid (ABA) is a natural plant hormone produced in roots in response to drought conditions. ABA is moved to the leaves, where it stimulates the closure of stomata, reduces water loss and halts photosynthesis. Until recently, ABA has not been used in greenhouse crop production because there have been no products registered for commercial use. However, Valent BioSciences Corporation is planning to release ConTego Pro, a new plant growth regulator utilizing S-abscisic acid (S-ABA), the biologically active form of ABA. ConTego Pro has already received EPA registration. To delay wilting, S-ABA is best applied as a foliar spray. An application causes the stomata to close, and therefore, reduces water loss from the leaves. Treated plants exposed to water-limiting conditions can therefore tolerate a longer period of […]

Many articles have been written over the past few years on water quality and the need for growers to adapt to their individual water supply. Most of these articles have been written by university or industry experts, and they have done a tremendous job explaining the scientific aspects of various water types and how the chemistry of these water types affect the pH of the soil, nutrient availability and overall plant quality. My favorite reference source on this subject is a book titled “Understanding pH Management,” by Bill Argo and Paul Fisher published by Greenhouse Grower. Many frequently asked questions by our grower customers have focused on soil pH and plant nutrition. Countless callers have a question like this: “I grow in soil brand X, my salesman says the pH is 5.8 to 6.2 straight from the bag, I feed with 20-10-20, and my water pH is 6.0. So why […]